ED, I-T, CBI have been asked to remain hyperactive against oppn: RJD

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The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Tuesday claimed to have "credible information" that the ED, CBI and Income Tax department have been asked by the Centre to be "hyperactive" against leaders opposed to BJP till Ram temple inauguration, reported news agency PTI.

RJD national spokesman and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha made the allegation at a press conference here, vowing to continue the fight against the BJP which he accused of having converted the country into a "police state", reported PTI.

The BJP, however, denied the allegation, asserting that the agencies worked independently and only those who had indulged in corruption were scared of these, reported PTI.

Jha said, "There are some conscientious people in these agencies at various levels. Those who are not happy with the diktat of becoming a political instrument in the hands of the BJP have confided in me. They are under instructions to go after opposition leaders till January 22, when the media focus will shift towards Ayodhya", reported PTI.

During this period, these agencies have been "asked to be particularly active in states like Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Delhi, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra", he claimed, reported PTI.

"Prominent leaders who will be in the crosshairs include Tejashwi Yadav, Abhishek Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann, Hemant Soren and members of the MK Stalin ministry," Jha said.

Notably, Jha's allegation comes in the backdrop of summons issued to RJD leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav by the Enforcement Directorate.

The ED has asked Yadav to appear before it in Delhi on January 5, in the land-for-jobs scam pertaining to the period when his father and party president Lalu Prasad was the Railway minister, reported PTI.

The RJD MP said, "We are not scared of such antics. It is the BJP, which is always wary of taking on its opponents politically. It had received a crushing defeat in the Bihar assembly polls of 2015 and is staring at a similar humiliation in Lok Sabha polls", reported PTI.

Jha lambasted the BJP for "trying to politically cash in" on the construction of the temple at Ayodhya, saying "they are followers not of Ram but Nathuram (Gandhi's assassin). We, on the other hand, are followers of the Mahatma who was a true devotee and had the name of the Lord on his lips when he was hit by the bullets which claimed his life", reported PTI.

"During the period till January 22, you will see all three agencies working in tandem, sharing files which will be handed to these by their political bosses. After the inauguration of the temple, there will be a brief lull. And after the last week of April, you will never hear of the so-called cases ever", claimed the RJD leader, reported PTI.

Reacting to the charge, state BJP spokesman Arvind Kumar Singh said "ED, CBI and I-T are independent agencies and the BJP never interferes in their functioning. But those with corruption taints are naturally scared of these. The RJD must be particularly wary since its supremo Lalu Prasad has already been convicted in several fodder scam cases", reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)